Legislation would remove unemployment waiting period

MADISON—Democratic State Reps. Debra Kolste, Janesville, and Cory Mason, Racine, said Thursday they will introduce a bill to remove the one-week waiting period for unemployment insurance benefits.

In 2011, Republican legislators passed a bill requiring those who are laid off to wait a week before collecting their unemployment benefits.

“There is no justification for making unemployed workers wait a week for their benefits to start,” Kolste said. “Unemployed workers use their benefits to pay their rents and mortgages, buy groceries, and other necessities. Workers' bills don't wait a week, and there is no reason why workers should be forced to wait a week to collect benefits they have earned.”

The bill would delete the one-week waiting period and allow the newly unemployed to receive unemployment benefits as soon as they are eligible.

Mason and Kolste said their legislative districts include communities with some of the state's highest unemployment rates. They plan to formally introduce the bill next week.